Yukikaze
Yukikaze is an unseen, minor character who once served as Ayanami's begleiter before Ayanami rose to the position of the Barsburg Army's Chief of Staff. Yukikaze was killed protecting Ayanami. Etymology In the Japanese language, 'yuki' means snow, 'kaze' means 'wind'. Appearance Yukikaze has not officially appeared in the ongoing series yet, so his appearance remains unknown. In the pilot chapter Begleiter, when Hyuuga is talking about that Begleiter whom Ayanami confided in, there is a light-haired man seen kneeling beside Ayanami and in the next grid seen fighting back to back with Ayanami in a flashback, that could very well be Yukikaze. However, in manga Kapitel 26, when the snow and wind is blowing, Ayanami remembers a man with black hair and eyes who says to him: "Watashi no ou wa anata dake desu, Ayanami-sama (I have only one king, which is you, Ayanami-sama)". In Japan, many fans believe that this man was Yukikaze (possibly because they think there is a metaphorical hint in chapter 26, as in the Japanese language, 'yukikaze' means 'wind-blown snow', and they suspect that when Ayanami says "Oh, Yuki.." at the time, he means him instead of the snow). It appears that in Ayanami's eyes Yukikaze was beautiful, as Ayanami said "You are also beautiful when you are under cherry blossom petals" in the first drama CD. Clothing When shown in the pilot chapter, Yukikaze wears the standard Black Hawk uniform: a black, or dark blue, ankle-length overcoat with golden trimmings on the chest, sleeve cuffs and neck guard. He wears black trousers and knee-length, black, buckled boots and white gloves similar to the other Black Hawks. His uniform has a small half mantle hanging off his left shoulder emblazoned with the Barsburg military insignia and a golden shoulder board on his right. If the man in Kapitel 26 is Yukikaze, he also wears round glasses. Relationships Superiors Ayanami In the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga said that Ayanami and Yukikaze were very close, bordering on marriageIn the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga says: "長年連れ添った信頼おける"., and that Yukikaze served Ayanami without "a second thought for his own life".In the Begleiter chapter, Hyuuga says: "命を惜しむこともな尽くし". Hyuuga implied that Yukikaze smiled when Ayanami acted stubbornly.The first drama CD: the love letter that God receives. It appears that Ayanami somehow wished Yukikaze had never run into him, as Ayanami said "Was meeting me really happiness to you? I have asked and can ask my heart countless times, still I can't answer it."The first drama CD: the love letter that God receives. Peers Hyuuga Although they have never been seen interacting during the series, it is probable that Hyuuga has worked with Yukikaze, considering what he has said in Begleiter ''and the first drama. Some fans speculate that Hyuuga holds a grudge against Yukikaze because his death damaged Ayanami so much emotionally or because Yukikaze was loved by Ayanami. History The ''Begleiter pilot chapter reveals that Ayanami had a Begleiter before he became the Chief of Staff and they were very close. Later, that Begleiter died defending Ayanami in a battle. Quotes *''"I have one and only one king, which is you, Ayanami-sama."'' Said in Kapitel 26 if the unnamed soldier whom Ayanami remembers is really Yukikaze. Trivia *Yukikaze is the name of a Japanese destroyer battleship. This name can be ironic in that Yukikaze (the ship) was the only member of its class to survive World War II, whereas Yukikaze (the character) is the only member of the Black Hawks who has not survived. It is also possible that the author named him Yukikaze because he was blown off in a battle, as Yukikaze (the ship) was scrapped in the end. *In Japan and China, there are speculations that Hyuuga and Yukikaze are related by blood, since if the dark-haired man in manga chapter 26 is really Yukikaze, he resembles Hyuuga a lot in physical appearance. *Some fans think that that man in Ayanami's memory in chapter 26 is just Hyuuga. However, Hyuuga's eyes are light-colored, while that man's eyes are black. More importantly, that man uses the Japanese honorific form (reflected by the conjugation of verbs and choice of nouns) to refer to himself and talk with Ayanami, whereas Hyuuga, treating Ayanami as a friend (equal standing) instead of a boss (unequal standing), always uses the Japanese simple form when he refers to himself and speaks to Ayanami. So, if that man was Hyuuga, he would probably have used "ore" (the casual "I") instead of "watashi" (the formal, polite "I"), "da" instead of "desu" ("to be"), "omae" instead of "anata", "-tan" instead of "-sama". *However, the issue has been up to debate, as the pilot chapter, Begleiter, shows that Yukikaze had light-coloured hair, while that man in chapter 26 has dark hair. (It is also plausible that the author later decided to change the design for Yukikaze when the story of 07-Ghost is serialized) *Fans in Japan tend to think that Yukikaze was not a Warsfeil on the ground that if Yukikaze had been a Warsfeil, he would not have died from wounds. *Some fans suspect that Karu is Yukikaze in disguise. *Since Katsuragi loves Ayanami very much, some fans in Japan suspect that Katsuragi holds a grudge against Yukikaze, as he had Ayanami's love. *Some fans in China think that when Yukikaze was still alive, Ayanami had not remember he's Verloren yet. *Yukikaze is shown using his left hand to hold his sword. So, he may be a left-hander, like Ayanami.(Begleiter) *Some fans suspect that Yukikaze used two swords like Hyuuga, because two swords were placed on his grave. (Begleiter) *In the anime, during the Raggs' War, Ayanami was already wearing the spiky epaulet on his right shoulder and his unfirom having the additional trim which only the the field-marshal's uniform has. So, it is probable thatAyanami was the Chief of Staff at the time the Raggs' War broke out. Hence, according to the anime, the time of Yukikaze's death should be before the Raggs' War. References Site Navigation Category:Characters Category:Minor characters Category:Male Category:Military members Category:Begleiter Category:Deceased